LIMA — Lima Memorial Health System on Monday accepted a $100,000 donation from PotashCorp to purchase a germ-eliminating robot that will be used in the hospital’s surgery and isolation units.
“It’s all about patient safety, and a big part of that is infection,” said Lima Memorial President and CEO Michael Swick. “We know we do a good job, but we wanted to find a better way of being able to get rid of more and more infections in the hospital.”
The robot, which will arrive at Lima Memorial within two or three weeks, is called the Tru-D SmartUVC. This germ-eliminating robot uses powerful UV-C light to kill harmful pathogens, according to a news release.
Swick said that Tru-D will be placed on the ground in the middle of the room, and when it is activated, an ultraviolet light will scan all surfaces to eliminate germs. He said the UV light will also penetrate the inside of cabinets and drawers.
The robot will be used before every surgery that takes place at Lima Memorial, and in the future will be used in the hospital’s isolation areas.
Pam Lawrence, infection control practitioner at Lima Memorial, said the robot will eliminate 99.9 percent of organisms found on hospital surfaces.
Though Lima Memorial has already earned one of the best infection control ratings by Consumer Reports, Lawrence said the robot will take the hospital’s infection control to the next level.
“Our associates have been committed to try to decrease our hospital infections, and this is one way we can raise the bar to make our hospital safer and cleaner,” she said.
According to Swick, Tru-D will serve as a complement to the cleaning procedures hospital staff will continue to employ.
“We’ll still have to go through and clean the room like we always have,” Swick said, “this is just an added step to the process.”
Dr. Jeremy Heffner, ICU and trauma director at Lima Memorial, said the robot will allow the hospital to stay one step ahead of germs that could potentially cause harm to patients.
“I think this is another example of us trying to stay ahead of the curve and continuing to be one of the top hospitals in the country when it comes to infection control,” Heffner said.
PotashCorp General Manager Todd Sutton said he and his company were excited they could help fund a state-of-the-art robot for a local hospital.
“This project really encompasses the common goals of not only Lima Memorial, but also of PotashCorp,” Sutton said. “That goal is to strive for continuous improvement and support for the health and wellness environment of our community.”
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